Retention of Sales & Background Check Records in Minnesota

Last updated November 7, 2017.

In Minnesota, if a person wishes to acquire a handgun or semiautomatic military-style assault weapon from a federally licensed dealer but does not have a transferee permit or a permit to carry a handgun, Minnesota law generally requires the dealer to file a report with the local police chief or sheriff, who then performs a background check.1 Minnesota does not require firearm sellers to retain information about firearm sales or report such sales to a centralized state agency. All data pertaining to the purchase or transfer of firearms which are collected by state agencies, political subdivisions or statewide systems pursuant to Minnesota law (governing firearm transfers, possession and carrying) are classified as “private.”2 Thus, this data is not available to the public, but is accessible to the subject of the data.3

Minnesota allows a person who has received a handgun or semiautomatic military-style assault weapon from a federally licensed dealer to submit a request to the police chief or sheriff who processed the transfer that no record be maintained of the transfer.4 If the police chief or sheriff receives such a request, he or she must return the report of the transfer to that person as soon as possible. Thereafter, no state government employee or agency may maintain a record of the transfer that identifies the transferee.5